The Nuggets didn’t just add a scorer when they brought in DeMar DeRozan. They also, in a very narrow but real sense, got a little better on defense at one of their backup guard spots.
That’s not exactly the first thing that jumps out when you think about DeRozan. He’s the guy with six All-Star nods, a career average of 21.1 points and a reputation built on shot-making, late-game poise and getting buckets in every possible way. But compared with Bruce Brown, the player he replaces, Denver actually comes out ahead on the defensive side too.
Brown’s decline was a big part of that. The Nuggets let him walk in free agency, and he’s now battling for a roster spot with the New York Knicks.
One defensive stat makes the case brutally clear: his defensive true shooting value added was -1.9 over the last three years, one of the worst marks in the league. Among players with more than 20,000 possessions on defense, only six others were worse.
DeRozan isn’t far behind, but he is ahead. His rating sits at -1.7.
That still lands him in rough territory, but it also means Denver didn’t swap Brown out for some defensive disaster at the spot. In fact, other high-usage names like Jalen Brunson and Trae Young were worse than DeRozan, and he was tied with Steph Curry and Kyle Kuzma.
The bigger point for Denver is that Brown’s value had already fallen off a cliff. Fans loved “Cowboy Bruce,” and for good reason.
He was a key part of the Nuggets’ 2022-23 championship team, and that gives him a permanent place in team memory. But the version of Brown available now wasn’t the same player.
DeRozan gives the Nuggets much more on the other end. He’s not just a scorer; he’s also an underrated passer who can function as a primary ball handler. Gregg Popovich even handed him that kind of responsibility during his three years with the Spurs, which says plenty about the trust he can earn with the ball in his hands.
Last season with the Sacramento Kings, DeRozan averaged 4.1 assists, his lowest total since 2017-18. Even so, that number would have ranked third on the Nuggets last season, behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
So while the headlines around this move are obvious - Denver added a proven veteran and lost a beloved one - the full picture is even better for the Nuggets. They upgraded their offense without giving back much, if anything, defensively at that spot. And DeRozan, now chasing his first NBA championship, should give them steady production as the season moves along.
In Other News...
Nuggets Suddenly Have A DeRozan Twist Fans Didn't See Coming
DeMar DeRozans arrival gives Denver another layer of intrigue as the Nuggets continue shaping a roster built to chase another title. After being waived by Sacramento, the veteran wing landed in Denver on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, a low-risk add for a team that already leans on proven stars and values experience in tight playoff settings.
DeRozan has also brought a different kind of presence off the floor, speaking openly about his focus on mental health and his desire to support young boys and men dealing with emotional challenges. And while the basketball fit will draw the most attention now, the larger Nuggets picture keeps expanding, with the organizations parent company also laying plans for a major Ball Arena renovation that is slated to begin next summer. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Face One Big Question About Escaping Their Cap Crunch
The long-term picture around Denver has gotten murkier, at least in ESPNs latest three-year outlook. The Nuggets slid to 18th after being placed ninth in the previous update, a drop tied to roster turnover and the kind of salary-cap pressure that has become impossible to ignore around a contender trying to keep its core intact.
For Denver, the issue is not just where the team stands now but how it can create enough breathing room to keep building. The Nuggets are operating above the NBAs second-apron threshold, which limits flexibility in a hurry, even as possible cap changes and the use of draft assets could open a better path by the 2027-28 season. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Made Their Biggest Weakness Impossible To Ignore This Summer
After getting knocked out by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, Denver spent the summer trying to make its bench look a lot more alive. The Nuggets added more athleticism and scoring depth with newcomers such as Cam Whitmore, Marvin Bagley and DeMar DeRozan, a clear response to the stretches last season when the second unit could not keep pace on either end of the floor.
The changes went beyond just the roster, too, with Denver bringing in Dave Joerger and Austin Dufault to help sharpen the group defensively, especially the younger players. Even after all that work, though, the biggest question around the bench has not disappeared, because the Nuggets still have to prove these fixes translate once the games start mattering again. [Read more 🡒]